Europe is currently experiencing extreme heat, with temperatures surpassing 40 degrees Celsius in many areas. Some regions in Spain and Portugal were even hotter than the Sahara Desert. Authorities are advising people to stay indoors, schools have been closed, wildfires are spreading, and nuclear reactors are reducing output due to rivers being too warm to effectively cool them. The World Health Organization reports that over 1,300 deaths in Europe can be attributed to the heat since June 21st.
Traditionally, Europe’s infrastructure and way of life were designed under the assumption that summers would be warm but manageable. However, this belief is now being challenged as the climate shifts. The Guardian’s Europe environment correspondent, Ajit Niranjan, discusses the implications of an entire continent realizing it was structured for a climate that no longer aligns with reality.